Brahman

(3,373 words)

Deriving from the Sanskrit root brḥ-, the literal meaning of brahman is “growth” or “expansion.” It becomes a central notion in the Upaniṣads. Although it is used in different ways across these texts, such as a “formulation of truth” and as a “pure realm,” its primary aim seems to be to stand for some ultimate wholeness, which can integrate all existence. In many contexts in the Upaniṣads, it is a formal term that indicates an absolute principle, something that itself does not depend on further investigation. The Upaniṣads tend to treat brahman in two different ways (see Brereton,…